Career Options For Medical Assistants Wanting To Move On

Posted September 14th, 2016

Becoming a medical assistant is a very direct path. However, the career options for medical assistants are not just limited to allied health jobs. Because medical assistants are required to conduct both clinical and administrative work, it leaves the door open to pursue nearly any job in the healthcare industry. There are, however, three options in particular that work perfectly for advancing as a medical assistant.

Transitioning to Nursing as a Medical Assistant

Nursing jobs in Baltimore and all throughout the U.S. are consistently desirable positions, and provide further growth in the healthcare industry. Being a medical assistant is a great platform to jump into the field of nursing. Due to your experience in the hospital, your course work and clinicals will be that much easier, it looks great on an application and your co-workers can be valuable references. While not all of your previous credits may transfer, you can use the CLEP program to test out of some classes. If you are put on a waiting list for admission into the nursing program, check with your advisor to see if you can’t take some prerequisite courses in the meantime.

Medical Coding for Medical Assistants

Through your administrative work as a medical assistant, you may very well have learned some medical coding. On the job training is the best way to learn a craft, and if you are looking to take a step up from your medical assistant job, medical coding is a terrific option.

Becoming a medical coder starts with the certification process. You will need to obtain your CPC, or Certified Professional Coder, certificate. You will need to pass a rigorous exam which will require fluidity in CPT and ICD-9-CM coding languages.

Once you have obtained your certificate, you are considered an apprentice until you can prove you have two years of experience or one year of experience, with one year of schooling. Starting out as a medical coder can be difficult, but gaining and leveraging as much on-the-job experience in medical coding in your medical assistant role can help you ace the application process and take the next step in your allied health career.

Medical Assistants Working in Healthcare Management

A medical assistant’s experience in both the administrative and clinical side of healthcare makes them a perfect candidate for a supervisory role in the healthcare industry. Being able to relate to the healthcare side of the hospital, as well as the allied healthcare sector, gives medical assistants a unique and comprehensive view of a medical facility.

Show your employer that you are ready to take on a healthcare management role by pursuing an associates, or better yet, bachelor’s degree in healthcare management. Experience is also always going to help for a management position. Continue to gain valuable experience in your medical assistant position while working on your leaderships qualities, and you are in the perfect position to step up into a healthcare management job.

If you are ready to take the next step up from your medical assistant role, Personnel Results can help you find the perfect position. Contact one of our healthcare staffing specialists today to move your career forward.